The Restricted Collection
by frances janvier
Summary: A collection of drabbles and one-shots for The Restricted Challenge.
1. Merely Himself

**So, there's a challenge called The Restricted Challenge. I'm putting all of them into this collection :)**

 **#1:** Restriction/Guideline - _Write a story based in the Trio Era, but you cannot include or mention Harry Potter, Ron Weasley or Hermione Granger._

* * *

Oliver Wood was sitting in the stands of the Quidditch pitch, just thinking. He did this every few days, and it helped him focus on thinking up new Quidditch strategies for the Gryffindor team.

But now, his eyes and thoughts were on the pretty Katie Bell chatting with one of her friends on the other side of the pitch.

She was such a great Chaser, and had given Gryffindor several game-changing throws of the quaffle. And she always managed to be nice to almost everybody, yet still had the spunk to step up for her friends when they were in need.

But it's not like she would ever notice Oliver's true feelings. He was merely himself.


	2. Stolen Plates of Cookies

**Restricted Collection:** #2: Guideline - _Write a_ _romance story._

 **Challenges by the Dozen:** Level Five [write five post-canon fics] #3

 **NeonClan Biweekly Tumblr Contest:** "Give me a cookie." / "What the **** are you going on about?" / "I just saw you shove an entire plate of cookies from the buffet into your bag give me one." / "*grumbles profanities buts hands one over*"

* * *

Three quarters of The Great Hall were silent with shock, but the Slytherin table was whooping and cheering ecstatically. Everybody was whispering in another's ear something along the lines of "How did the Chosen One's son get sorted into _Slytherin_? Did the Sorting Hat mess up?"

Meanwhile, Albus was burning red at the cheeks from all the attention. Couldn't everybody just stop staring? He wasn't his father, after all. Slowly, he made his way across the Hall to the Slytherin table. Albus stood there awkwardly for a moment, since he barely knew anybody from Slytherin.

"Hey, Albus, there's a free space right next to me," Scorpius Malfoy said, waving his hand to indicate where he was. Scorpius had been declared a Slytherin not even thirty seconds after the Hat had touched his head. Meanwhile, it had taken the Hat a whole three minutes to decide upon Albus's house.

Albus followed his gesture and sat down finally, and the Sorting of the other first years continued on. Albus wasn't paying much attention, although he did dutifully clap whenever there was a new Slytherin announced. He suspected many more eyes were also not paying much attention, and instead were still fixated on the newly sorted Potter.

It finally came to his cousin Rose's Sorting time. Like with Albus, it took its time, but eventually it shouted "RAVENCLAW!" Rose made her way over to the Ravenclaw table, blushing as red as her namesake. _I think she was aiming for Gryffindor to please Uncle Ron, but I think she'll be happy with Ravenclaw._

Dumbledore made his annual speech again, but now Albus's eyes were just soaking up every single detail of Scorpius. _How is he just so naturally attractive?_ Then Albus brushed these thoughts away. He shouldn't be worrying about all of this right now. _Although, Scorpius's hair looks really_ —

He told his brain to shut up, and then tried to focus on singing the Hogwarts song. He mostly managed to do so sucessfully, but his brain ordered him to tune into Scorpius's singing more often than not.

Dinner arrived on the tables, and Albus giddily stuffed himself with food until he was sick. When dessert arrived, it all looked so good, and yet he didn't think he could even stomach any of it.

Quickly, he looked both ways to ensure nobody was looking all too carefully at him before snatching a plate of cookies and shoving it into his bag.

"Al, give me a cookie."

"What in the name of Merlin are you going on about? There's surely plenty of ookies on the table in front of you."

"I just saw you shove an entire plate of cookies from the table into your bag now give me one."

Scorpius held out his hand expecting a cookie. Albus grumbled playfully but handed one over to Scorpius. His hand lingered for a second on Scorpius's hand and his brain marveled at how nice it was before reluctantly retreating.

"You now owe me, by the way."

* * *

It was in their seventh year, and Albus and Scorpius were casually hanging out together on the grass in the courtyard. Their hands were entwined, and Albus no longer needed to tell his brain to shut up about Scorpius. After all, they had been dating for two years now.

Albus was the one to break the serene silence.

"You still owe me one cookie, by the way."


	3. Capturing Memories

**The Restricted Collection:** Restriction - _Write a story without using the word 'it'._

 **If You Dare Challenge:** 1000\. Faulty Camera

* * *

Everywhere Colin Creevey goes, he takes out his classic camera and snaps a perfect photograph. They always capture that exact moment precisely. No, they don't capture a moment. They capture a _memory_.

...

After the war, Dennis picks up his older brother's camera. He tries to snapshot a few memories, but he just can't. The photos come out fuzzy or incomplete or just missing _something_.

The camera isn't faulty, though. Only Colin could capture memories perfectly the way he did.


	4. Trouble with Pasta Strainers

**There is so much Romione hate out there and idk why :( It's honestly one of my OTPs, lol**

 **The Restricted Collection:** #4: Guideline - _Write a Ron/Hermione story._

 **Pairing the Character Drabble Competition Week 5:** Hermione/Ron

 **If You Dare:** 445\. Pasta Strainer

* * *

Ron Weasley could not for the life of him figure out how to operate this blasted pasta strainer.

He swore some under his breath, before calling down for Hermione. Of course, his wife was already at the bottom of the stairwell.

"What is it this time, Ron?"Hermione asked with a sigh. Ron merely gestured at the pasta strainer in front of him, and Hermione got the message.

"Merlin, Ron, can't you work a simple pasta strainer?" she asked him as she took over the work for demonstration purposes. Ron started to say something about bloody Muggle cooking tools, but Hermione cut him off with a wave of the hand.

Hermione closely inspected the spaghetti inside. "Well, first of all, the pasta is rather underdone. You're going to need to cook it more. Then, when it's done, you take the pasta out of the pot and put it inside the strainer when it's over the _sink_..."

Her lengthy explanation fell on deaf ears, though. Ron had zoned out completely.

"... And that's how you use a pasta strainer _properly_. Any questions? Ron? Ron?" Hermione stared at her husband with another sigh, mostly holding back a small laugh.

Ron became conscious again, and blinked his eyes rapidly.

"Sorry, can you repeat that all again?"


	5. Thinking

**The Restricted Collection:** #5: Guideline - _Write a story that is in present tense._

* * *

Albus Dumbledore sits in his office, and all is quiet, save for the occasional tinkering with a trinket on his desk. Even the portraits know to respect when Albus wants to think. His mind is swirling with ideas, and he must sift through them and choose the best plan to carry through with. The one that will keep him from hurting too many people like before.

He knows sometimes he chooses the wrong idea by mistake, so he must think very carefully about this.

And even then, he might choose the wrong one yet again and harm the people that he loves...

He sets down the little instrument he had been fiddling with just before. This job is getting to be too tiring for him, but he knows he must trudge onwards until he is fulfilled.


	6. What His Heart Screamed

**The Restricted Collection:** Restriction - _Write a story that has a 500 word maximum._

 **If You Dare Challenge:** 567\. Screaming Heart

* * *

And even as Sirius was kissing his girlfriend, his heart was screaming that it just wasn't love. It wasn't love. He was interlocked with her. His lips were touching her lips and yet in his heart he knew it wasn't right.

If only he lived in a world where what his heart screamed out to him could be accepted.


	7. Planning Interrupted

**Let it be known that I hate Founder's Era.**

 **The Restricted Collection:** Guideline - _Write a story that is set in any era that isn't Marauder's, Trio or Next-Gen._

* * *

Godric Gryffindor couldn't _stand_ Salazar Slytherin. Merlin, what a twat. He made Godric want to tear out his hair daily.

Just yesterday, in another one of the meetings to discuss the school he, Rowena, Helga, and Salazar were going to found together, he spent several minutes just insulting Godric and shooting down the most recent plans. Another day was wasted, and there was no further productivity. Even Rowena couldn't glean some advancement from it.

Of course, Godric might just have been fighting and yelling at Salazar too throughout the meeting, but Salazar started it. Nothing Helga could say would keep him from stopping Salazar from doing further damage to their plans.

Then again... What a _handsome_ twat he was.


	8. Seeking Solace in Sunrises

**The Restricted Collection:** Restriction - _Write a story but you cannot use any words that start with the letter 'P'._

 **Pack a Punch Drabble Competition:** Sunrise; Cho Chang.

* * *

Cho Chang was sitting down on a grassy hill, watching the beautiful sunrise with her boyfriend, Cedric. All was tranquil and quiet.

The two of them were holding hands when Cedric started to fade again and reality slapped Cho in the face again, because Cedric was dead and she couldn't go on watching sunrises with only the ghosts of her imagination.

And yet she couldn't stop herself from trying to seek solace in sunrises.


	9. A Life of Suffering

**Bleh. Riddle Era.**

 **The Restricted Section:** Guideline - _Write a story that is set in the Riddle Era._

 **If You Dare Challenge:** 122\. Suffered

* * *

Every day, _every single day_ , Merope Gaunt suffered in agony from Marvolo's abuse. Her father was absolutely unrelenting. The beatings and screams of "Useless Squib! You are a disgrace to the Riddle family name!" were just nonstop.

And it wasn't even just that. Every single day, Merope watched Tom Riddle ride by in his carriage, entangled more and more with Cecilia. She couldn't even tear her eyes away from the sight, even though she knew it pained her day after day to see the lovers.

Her life was a life of suffering.


End file.
